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Saturday, November 30, 2013

when my sweet friend, courtney, asked me to take part in the 30 Day Gratitude Photo Challenge, i couldn't resist. i'm big on picture-taking, even if i'm not the greatest, and it seemed like something i could get behind. i loved the idea of slowing down and focusing on one subject every day of what we are thankful for, for the month of november.

hope you enjoy!

//favorite food//, hands down, fav food of the season is turkey and wild rice stew.

//smile//, can't get enough of my big man's smiley eyes.

//happiness//, is there anything better than when your child has that look of complete joy on his face?

//leaves//, loving and so grateful for the autumns on the east coast.

*okay, i apologize for the next couple collages. we had a back-up malfunction and i lost a few pictures so these were collages that i did from my phone...*

//morning sky//, pink sunrise from our front porch.//books//, currently on my nightstand: Family Fortunes, ChildWise, the Bible, and my kindle with Last of the Mohicans, among others.//something funny//, my mom found this awesome indigenous mask in ecuador for mv.//favorite color//, green almonds the size of my fist, growing everywhere in ecuador!//inspiring person//, my daddy :)//nature//, absolutely everywhere you step in ecuador.//something old//, the basilica in quito.//hands//, photo cred: mil. i left a list of crafts to do with the boys while i was gone and they did the thankful tree so well!//written words//, graffiti in ecuador.

//movement//, the joy of a spinning baby.//technology//, classical pandora on all day, to inspire little minds.//animals//, herds of cow, giraffe, zebra, and dinosaur constantly around our house.//memories//, love letters from his first military school, our first time apart while dating.//something new//, brand new hunters that i can't open till christmas :(//best friend//, i adore him.//seasonal//, the beauty that is virginia in november.//where you sleep//, a bed always tousled from wrestling with my boys in the mornings.//clothing//, so grateful for warm clothes to play outside for hours, on cold days.

//in your closet//, i'm crazy about organizing by color.

//gratitude//, love watching this boy learn to pray and learn to love to pray.

//artwork//, my favorite piece in our house. titled, secret beach, i bought it in key west and would love to have someone recreate it, larger, for a statement piece over a (future) fireplace someday...

//transportation//, along with herds of animals, caravans of trucks and cars are frequently seen around the house...

//daily routine//, we are big, big on routines here, but it always, always, starts with tea and quiet time.

Saturday, November 23, 2013

1. collect leaves. ask your adorable, chubby-handed sons to collect them and bring them to mama. then, show them how to press between sheets of paper and let dry completely.

2. lay out dried, flat leaves. run a length (however long you want your chandelier...i did mine about 3-5') of neutral-colored thread on the top.

3. carefully run a line of glue (i used elmer's) down the thread, stopping at the edges of your leaves. repeat. make about 5-8 leaf rows/lines/dangley (spelling on that?) things, or as many as you'd like.

4. let dry completely (overnight) and then just try to keep them out of reach of said chubby hands. trickier than it seems. i taped mine up, behind a curtain, and got really close to just leaving them, because i thought they were so pretty there!

5. wrap a cheap wreath (any type will do) with some burlap ribbon, or whatever you'd like. this will be the top of your chandelier.

6. carefully tie the thread into the burlap, spacing your leaf dangles as you wish. i did 6, evenly spaced.

7. aaaaaand hang! hang somewhere that the light comes through :) and be careful, it might be heavier than you think, depending on what materials you used!